Conventional image forming machines such as powder image transfer-type electrophotographic copy machines and the like variously provide devices for removing residual toner from the surface of the powder image carrying member.
The most typical of these devices is the so-called blade cleaning device which has seen wide application as a device configured to bring a flexible blade into contact with the surface of the powder image carrying member so as to scrape off developer in conjunction with the movement of said powder image carrying member.
However, in this type of device, the removed toner is a natural powder. Toner in the aggregate state contains approximately 60 to 70% air under normal conditions, while the aggregate itself is comprised of only about 30 to 40% of toner particles. This circumstance is, therefore, an obstacle to down-sizing the entire device.
To eliminate the aforesaid disadvantage, the removed toner is heated and solidified or liquified to condense its volume, thereby allowing the entire device to be designed so as to be more compact.
For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 58-181081 discloses an apparatus having a collection box for collecting the removed toner and provided with a heater to solidify said removed toner.
However, the aforesaid type of device requires a heating means, which not only creates extremely large power consumption for the entire copy machine, but also readily produces adverse effects on other units within said copy machine. That is, the electrical substrate and latent image carrying member (for example, an organic photosensitive member) are extremely sensitive to heat and are generally arranged in the vicinity of the cleaning apparatus.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 59-111173 discloses a device wherein the removed toner is guided into a waste developer recovery vessel for holding said removed toner, and said removed toner being collected in an adsorbent, non-volatile liquid.
The aforesaid type of device differs from that disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 58-181081 in that the various disadvantages arising from the application of heat are lacking.
However, in the device disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 59-111173, a disadvantage arises in that the removed toner must be guided into the recovery vessel wherein it accumulates in the non-volatile liquid, and the transport device which accomplishes said guidance inevitably leads to enlargement of the apparatus.
The greatest disadvantage is the reduced adsorption of the non-volatile liquid which occurs after the removed toner is adsorbed. In the device disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 59-111173, felt or a similar material is impregnated with the aforesaid liquid and once the removed toner is adsorbed by the entire surface of said felt, no further toner adsorption is possible. Further, the adsorptivity of said non-volatile liquid is rapidly reduced by the impurity of said liquid which results from its accumulation alone. The use of such a device also enlarges the size of the entire apparatus.